Pastoral care for some
"The Challenge of the homeless in St. Petersburg has made national news and it has been embarrassing to many people. I am convinced that both on Judgment Day and in history, we will more likely be judged not by the things which might have considered personally important to ourselves in life but how we took take of others less fortunate.
This statement by Bishop Lynch of the Diocese of St. Petersburg in the Tampa Tribune can be seen as quite ironic to many. Robert Schindler Jr., the brother of Terri Schiavo, certainly sees it that way and writes a letter to Bishop Lynch [PDF]. I guess the homeless are not just a "family dispute" for the Bishop.
Terri's legacy is one of life and love. Sadly, your legacy will be that of the shepherd that stood silently by as one of his innocent disabled lamb was slowly and needlessly slaughtered by removing her food and water -- while you persistently ignored the cries of her family for help ("her family" being the ones who merely wanted to care for her.)
... I beg the Lord to spare us another successor of the apostles who would exhibit the same scandalous inaction and silence by which you remain complicit in my sister's murder via euthanasia.
I realize that for the sake of my salvation I must come to a point to at least want to forgive you, Bishop Lynch, for aiding and and giving comfort to the evildoers who took my sister's innocent and vulnerable life (and yes, she was objectively more innocent and more vulnerable that any homeless person.) The Catholic Church however, has spoken on Terri's case, and she has decreed in favor of Terri's right to life and everything our family did to save her.
Your behavior by contrast, have brought scandal to the Universal Church and to the faithful, particularly here in Florida. Your indifference towards the Truth is appalling, but seems to indicative of the all-too-prevalent corruption of priestly formation in the 1960's and 70's, so perhaps your culpability is somewhat mitigated. Even so, the fact of my sister's murder under your "pastoral care" is a fact you should acknowledge publicly.
Known as 
Comment Deleted since people are not vegetables - even trolls.
Why hasn't Pope Benedict removed Bishop Lynch from office?
Doesn't he have an obligation to shepherd his flock?
Wow. That letter hit the nail on the head. Pray that Bp. Lynch is cured of his cowardice and asks the Schindlers for forgiveness.
Powerful and truthful words from Bobby Schindler. I agree totally. Pray for the Schindlers and for Hoodlum.
I could not agree more with the words of Mr. Schindler. This Bishop along with the rest of his ilk, must be removed and it is the responsibility of all Catholics to call them out.
God have mercy on Terry Schindler and hold her tightly in You.
God bless the Schindler family.
God forgive the Bishop and all of us for our inaction.
Easy to say "get rid of the Bishop" but consider the fact that we have a permanent relationship with them. They are permanently ordained a Bishop, and as a successor to the Apostles, they can't become less a bishop than a father become a father.
We can tolerate them and pray for them, call them to account and attempt to reform their errant ways, but we can't sever our relationship with them.
We've outwaited a Bishop in our diocese and our new one seems to be wonderful.
I read Bobby Schindler's letter to the Bishop-he hit the nail right on the head! Bishop Lynch did nothing to help Terri Schiavo in her sufferings. He failed in his responsibility of caring for the least members of his flock. I wouldn't want to be in his shoes when he goes before the Chief Shepherd....
While I certainly agree that Bishop Lynch's inaction was a terrible scandal, and I sympathize wholeheartedly with the Schiavo's pain, I do not know that we can make claims like "She [Terri] was objectively more innocent and more vulnerable that (sic) homeless person." To be sure she was infinitely more vulnerable, which only makes the bishop's inaction more culpable, but I'm not sure where Mr. Schiavo is purporting to have positive knowledge of the relative guilt of the homeless of St. Petersburg. I only mention this because it actually makes an otherwise worthy complaint seem less credible.